Milwaukee Street Railway #200
Type: Hospital / Parlor Car
Built - 1887, Jones Rebuilt in 1892, 1907, and 1919 Seats - 30 Length – 25’ 0” Width – 7’ 6” Height – 12’ 3” |
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Scott Patrick photo
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During the late 1800s, street railways operating with small wooden cars pulled by horses and mules were numerous across North America, rapidly expanding and modernizing with the rest of the nation. The Milwaukee Street Railway operated horsecars on the streets of downtown Milwaukee, which ferried hundreds of people every day to workplaces, shopping, and school.
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Car 200 was built in 1887 for the Milwaukee Street Railway as a horsecar, a small carriage that would be pulled by two horses up the hills and across the rivers in Milwaukee. In 1892, the car was rebuilt, receiving a trolley pole, which would come in contact with newly-laid overhead electrical wires to provide power.
Until 1907, car 200 was used as a parlor car for wealthy executives of the company (by now the TMER&L) and individuals who wished to embark on private charters. In 1907, the company had bought more modern streetcars, and turned the smaller #200 into a hospital car, an early ambulance. In 1919, the car was rebuilt once again into a tool car, used to carry crews and materials to maintenance areas. The car was used until 1931, when the company retired the car in order to cut costs during the Great Depression. #200 became a tool shed until 1986, when it was acquired by The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, and later the East Troy Railroad Museum in 1989. |
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In 2009, the car was moved off property to a volunteer’s house near Spring Green, Wisconsin. A steel frame was built underneath the car and a total restoration was expected to be completed in Spring Green by 2014, but the project never advanced. ETRM is currently planning on moving the car back to East Troy and finishing the restoration project. Today, the car is one of the few remaining parlor trolley cars and the only surviving hospital trolley.
Car 200 Ownership History:
Milwaukee Street Railway #200 - 1892-1896
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #200 - 1896-1898
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #400 - 1898-1905
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #800 - 1905-1919
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #8 - 1919-1931
The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society - 1986-1989
East Troy Electric Railroad - 1989-Present
Milwaukee Street Railway #200 - 1892-1896
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #200 - 1896-1898
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #400 - 1898-1905
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #800 - 1905-1919
The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company #8 - 1919-1931
The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society - 1986-1989
East Troy Electric Railroad - 1989-Present
For More Information
| Car 200 Phone |